Prisoner
by shinobipopcorn
Summary: To the untrained eye, I am Princess Zelda. I am scrawny and match her size, I have the same hair color features, and a little Sheikah magic takes care of our difference in eye color. My services have always worked in the past, against the simple Hylian nobles and townsfolk. But today I am to perform for the king of the desert. And I worry he will see through the disguise...
1. Chapter 1

A/N:I'm sorry the summary sucks. This is a gritty reimagining of the first fanfiction I ever wrote, posted on ffnet as "The Three Rings". It's tagged as rape, though there won't be any explicit scenes in this fic. I honestly hate writing sex scenes. Anyway, I wrote this for me, because this is the kind of story I like to read. But I thought I'd share just in case other people like reading the same thing. I started this version in October of '14, but the original was started back in 2006. Marin has always been my Zelda OC, and though I have her looking just like the LA Marin and she likes to play Ballad of the Wind Fish, she is really nothing like the original Marin.

Ramblings aside, please enjoy.

* * *

The sound of footsteps and guards shuffling to correct their uniforms alerted me to Impa's arrival. I was pulling back my hair when she came in, wearing her usual poker face.

"Nice to see you up already, usually when I come you're still in bed."

"Today's the day, isn't it? Thought I should be awake," I replied, working as quickly as I could to put the signature wrappings in my sidelocks.

"Yes, today the delegation from the desert arrives. Though if I had my way, the princess wouldn't be attending the meeting. It's far too risky." Impa walked over to the closet, selecting the best looking of my three gowns. "But it would be considered an insult for the princess to miss such a meeting. So I'm afraid we'll have to utilize your services."

I put my brush down and looked in the mirror. "You think this desert king will fall for it? I may have similar features but I'm a good half decade older than Zelda."

"Oh, Marin, you say that every time." Impa simply smiled. She was the one who recruited me for this job in the first place, when she found me in the forest. I was an orphan and she was escorting the King of Hyrule on his annual prayer expedition to the Sacred Forest temple. As soon as she saw me shoot down a Stalfos with an improvised bomb arrow, she knew I had potential. My similarity to the Royal Family's features was uncanny, and so she convinced the king to let me act as the baby princess's doppelganger. The princess was kept out of the public eye until she was six, and though I was twelve at the time, people believed that I was her.

"Fine. But you'll need to cast that eye enchantment again. This desert king may be uninformed enough to see me as Zelda, but he'll know that there are no green eyed children born from two blues." Impa came over to me and waved her hand over my eyes, using her Sheikah magic to change the color. Once I donned the dress and hair ornaments I looked the part of Zelda- pointy ears, thin nose, and an inquisitive demeanor.

"You look very much like Zelda, a pity your complexions are so different else you would be sisters," Impa said as she put the finishing touches on my attire. The only ones that knew of our ruse were the Royal Family and Impa, and since I always wore a disguise when elsewhere, it was a solid defense.

Impa and I arrived at the throne room, and I took my place beside Queen Liara's throne. I knew little about this desert tribe, only that they were warriors to the core. Their king was supposedly young and arrogant, and I heard that they killed anyone who looked at them the wrong way. So I kept my head bowed when the desert king waltzed in to greet "my father".

"Father" rattled on with the standard treaty language, so when I thought the two kings were paying attention to each other, I stole a glance at the desert man. He was quite the sight to behold, dressed in fine armor that gave off a peaceful look but would protect if need arose. In place of a crown he wore a large gem in the center of his forehead, and I swear I saw tiny little braids woven into his short red hair. His skin was a rich brown, and his eyes were as gold as the land that bore him.

I watched him, mesmerized, until he finally met my gaze. Too startled to look away, we stared at each other for but a second. But it was enough for him to catch something from me, some inkling of my anxiety, perhaps. He smirked, before excusing himself and his entourage.

That night I had trouble sleeping. Something about the man seemed off, but eventually I fell to exhaustion. It was always tough playing the part of the princess, especially since I didn't have the divine gift for learning that she had and had to fumble my way through conversation with the elders.

A hundred screams ripped me from slumber, and I rushed to the window- we were under attack. Part of the castle was smoldering, so I wasted no time grabbing my sword and running for the throne room. The plan always was that in times of peril I would stay in character, hopefully to throw captors off and ensure the princess's survival. But this was no time to sit around cowering, especially when I could be of some use to the castle inhabitants.

"Look! There she is!"

I stopped when I heard someone behind me shouting, and turned to see several women charging me, women I recognized from the desert entourage. They think I'm the princess, fine, but they won't expect me to fight back. It was a struggle but I threw them off, making it further towards the throne room until a large hand reached out and grabbed my shoulder.

I was suddenly pushed into the wall, with enough force that I dropped my sword. A man resembling a Sheikah stood over me, his maroon eyes nearly draining my soul. Seconds later my strength went out, and I slumped to the floor.

* * *

"Ungh..."

My head felt like a bomb went off when I woke, and my stomach felt even worse. I realized that I wasn't in my own bed when I saw the large comforter atop my body, and though I didn't have the energy to move, I could see enough to recognize I was in the solar, the royal bedchamber. But why?

"Let it not be said that my people do not know kindness."

A voice from the corner startled me, and I watched as its owner came out from the shadows. It was the desert king, this time wearing armor fit for battle.

"Where were you running to?" he asked with a smirk, holding up the sword that I dropped. "This is an impressive instrument, but it's a tad too heavy for someone of your stature. I would recommend a short sword or a scimitar over this longsword."

I mumbled under my breath, but was too hazy for a coherent reply. He didn't seem to mind, and continued his speech. "You're very noble, leaving the safety of your room and running off to help the others. A royal trait."

I see. He really does think I'm Zelda. I closed my eyes and retreated into the pillow, hoping he didn't notice that Impa's enchantment had worn off. But my withdrawal was short lived, as my nausea suddenly returned and I heaved over the edge of the bed.

"Ah, it would seem my servant's spell took quite a toll on you. Sheikah magic can be ferocious when used on an unwilling target." The desert king clapped his hands, and a pair of servant women rushed in to clean my mess off the floor. I recognized them, and I think they recognized me, but they rushed out as quickly as they entered. I was shocked; if the desert people took over the castle, why would they spare the workers?

"I'm really impressed with your courage. Were our situations reversed and I the maiden, I doubt I would have charged ahead blind. But you should know, it is the highest compliment to be in your position."

"You mean as a princess about to be used for who knows what?" I mumbled out loud before I realized it, and braced myself for retaliation. But he merely laughed, unsettling me even more.

"No. Where I come from, it is the highest honor to be appointed as a royal guardian."

My eyes widened, and I forced myself to sit up. I should have known better, he was too smart to fall for such a ruse.

"Surprise is written on your face, are you really so shocked that I recognized your tactic? We use it as well, although as the only male of our tribe, I am not so easily imitated."

"Only male? How is that possible?" I must not have heard right.

Ganondorf scoffed. "As expected, you Hylians know nothing of your neighboring countrymen. My kin mate with the other races, of course. Our blood is so strong that it overwhelms their inferior makeup. But every so often it will choose a worthy soul, and a male Gerudo can be born from the union."

I found the subject fascinating. "So what happens if you conceive?"

"Is that an invitation?" He laughed as I grunted in horror. "I can see the hunger for knowledge in your eyes. Fear not, I will tell you what you want to know, should you tell me the things I want to know."

I get it. He kept me alive for information. "If you think I'll tell you anything, you're sorely mistaken."

"You will find it in your best interest to cooperate with me, girl," he barked, walking over and clamping his massive hand over my throat. "Because the alternatives, while not lethal, will leave you wishing for your death."

* * *

I woke in what could only be described as a filthy pit, surrounded by dirt and the bones of small animals. I rubbed my neck, and could only imagine the pattern of bruises covering it. I tried standing, but my legs would not hold my weight. It was too dark to see anyway, so I laid there and waited.

Some time later, a kick brought me out of slumber, and I looked up to see the Sheikah again. From his torchlight I could see how horrible my prison really was; bones of long dead prisoners lined the walls.

"Tch, what a waste of time it is for me to come down here. But you heard the Master, death is not your luxury." He tossed a plate on the ground in front of me, then swiftly exited the cell. He placed the torch in a sconce on the wall opposite. "I give that maybe an hour at most, before it burns out. Memorize your cell in that time, 'Princess', because I won't be giving you any more light."

The Sheikah stormed off, leaving me to stare at the rotten plate of slop serving as my sustenance. I couldn't eat it, not once I discovered the bugs crawling through it. I looked around the cell and sighed in relief once I spotted the plank sticking out from the wall. One of the "previous occupants" laid atop it, and I said a prayer to the Goddesses on his behalf as I moved his bones to the floor. I was sick at the thought of laying where this man had died, but it was less sickening than continuing to lay in the pile of shit and bones that was the floor.

The Sheikah (or possibly someone else, I couldn't tell) came once a day to drop off the same plate of scraps. And just like before, I ignored it. I began to waste away, losing my mind in that infernal darkness. Even my dreams had left me, and all I saw was dark. I tried to comfort myself with the thought that I was doing this for Zelda, but even that failed to ease my pain. Slowly, I stopped caring for anything but death...

* * *

"I don't know what I can tell you, this one is too far gone for my skills. As it is, I'd say she'll be dead within the hour."

"You call yourself a healer, so heal."

"But I'm telling you, my abilities can't rebuild brittle and spongy bones, nor can they regrow the organs that have most certainly broken themselves down. You'd be doing this girl a favor by simply letting her die."

"She has no right to death. And if you ever talk back to me again, you'll meet the same fate. Now heal her!"

Voices? When did people come into my cell?

"As you wish, My Lord Ganondorf."

Ganondorf... is that the desert king's name? The one voice sounded like his, at least I think so...

I felt a hand around my face, and a few seconds later something wet touching my lips. I started opening my eyes, but was immediately blinded by bright light.

"Oh! Master, did you see?"

A third voice... was that the Sheikah?

"Yes Agahnim, I saw, an involuntary response from being in blackness so long. Shut all the curtains and light only as many candles as necessary for the healer to work with."

The hand around my face shifted, parting my lips. Cool glass was then placed in my mouth, while the other hand massaged my throat to get a sweet liquid into my belly. After a few moments the glass disappeared, and the desert king spoke to me.

"Girl, I know you are awake. Open your eyes and look at me."

I very slowly opened them, afraid of being blinded again. My vision was blurry at first, but I managed to focus on the man in front of me. The desert king, lit by a small candle on the table next to him.

"Ga...non..."

"I prefer Ganondorf over Ganon, but if that's all your tired voice can muster, it will do. You truly are dedicated to your princess, aren't you? But it's a shame, you sacrificed yourself to waste away in that dungeon, and she'll never even know what you've done for her. Such is the fate of royal guardians, never to be acknowledged simply because they don't exist..."

A thought came back to me from the day I was found in the forest, something I had heard the king say. I was an orphan and wouldn't be missed, therefore they could toss Marin's life away in favor of Zelda's. Only now did the meaning hit home. I was literally a ghost.

"Precious little Marin, tell me. Where is Zelda?"

When did I tell him my name? My head hurt, my stomach growled from the tease of sugar water he had given me, and I could feel the healer picking at my dilapidated skin. I wanted relief, and my mind betrayed me.

"...Im...pa..."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I'm sorry, I went to post chapter 3 of this and realized I never posted chapter 2!**

**I get into my headcanon about the Forest Sprites in this chapter. See the end note for information on them.**

* * *

The curtains of the bed in the solar greeted me when I regained consciousness. Unable to move, I studied the patterns in the canopy until I heard footsteps. The curtains were drawn back, and Ganondorf greeted me with a tray in his hands.

"Have you regained your voice yet? It is my turn to answer your questions, now that you've answered mine."

"...nnh?" I didn't recall telling him anything that he wanted to hear.

"It was three days ago, you had just woken up after spending a month in the dungeon. Impressive, since you hadn't taken any of the food offered." He pulled a cup from the tray and helped me drink it. "I asked where Zelda was, and you told me she was with Impa. My manservant Agahnim is familiar with the woman, so he is leading the search."

My eyes grew wide when I realized what I had done. Impa was known as a member of the royal guard, but it was not public knowledge that she took care of the princess. Impa had probably taken precautions after escaping, but I doubt she expected me to leak this information.

"You look disappointed with yourself. You needn't be; after all they are the ones who condemned you to this fate. They stole you from your home and drafted you into military service. They even made you change your appearance..." He pulled the filthy sidelock decorations from my now brittle hair, and removed an old enchantment that grew my eyelashes longer. Lastly he waved a hand over my head, turning my hair color back from golden to the strawberry blonde color of my birth.

"Much better. Now, I believe you wanted to know about Gerudo genetics, correct? How a race can spawn only women? The answer is quite simple, really. The Gerudo womb is quite hostile to male embryos. Remember how I said Gerudo blood overpowers others? Even if by some stroke of luck a male is conceived, the womb won't accept it. There are a few races stronger, Gorons for instance, but they are not compatible mates."

He rambled on about the workings of Gerudo births, ignorant that my focus had drifted away. I heard something about Gerudo males being the genetically weakest, but as useful as this information could be, I couldn't resist falling back asleep.

* * *

Days came and went, and slowly my body regained strength. He had weaned me off the sugar water and on to meaty liquids, and finally soft foods. I couldn't stand for longer than a minute at a time, but I could at least sit in a chair.

"You seem to be healing rather slowly," the Sheikah, who I now know is named Agahnim, remarked as he brought my breakfast. "I've starved Hylians before and they bounce right back..."

"Forgive me for not meeting your expectations, then," I grumbled. I hated Agahnim- between his hypnotism at our first meeting and his gruffness in the dungeon, all he brought was pain.

"Which leads me to believe you're hiding something," he continued, ignoring my rebuttal. "I'm thinking you're not Hylian at all, maybe you're a Forest Sprite."

"Forest Sprite? You mean a Kokiri? I wish, they never have to grow up, and have faeries as companions. The only companions I have are my jailers." I swirled my spoon in the porridge he brought, expecting another sharp comment.

"Well, there's one way to tell..." The hint in Agahnim's voice alarmed me, and before I knew, he had grabbed my hand and drawn a blade against it.

"Angh!" A small amount of blood pooled in my palm, and he brought it to his face to inspect.

"Well what do you know, an explanation for why you're so pale! Your blood is weak," he taunted, before Ganondorf stormed into the room.

"What are you doing? I thought I told you to bring her food and then leave." His eyes wandered to my cut palm, and he raised an eyebrow. "And what is this for?"

"Forgive me, Master, I was curious. I had a suspicion that she wasn't Hylian, and it looks like I was correct. See the weakness in her blood? Almost as if it's diluted with-"

"Go do what I ordered you to do, Agahnim," Ganondorf snarled. Once the Sheikah was gone, he bent down and inspected my hand. "I see, your blood does look different..."

"What are you talking about, it's as red as everyone else's! Leave me alone!"

"Oh no, I can't leave you be, now that I've seen this. It looks like the blood of a Kokiri, and yet you're obviously no child."

I was getting annoyed. "You're as foolish as your manservant. Kokiri blood is green. And besides, what difference does it make?" It was a mistake to insult him, because he squeezed my hand so tightly it crunched.

"You are becoming too accustomed to my hospitality, perhaps another trip to the dungeon is in order?"

I shook my head vehemently, tears sliding down my cheeks at the thought of spending another night in that gulag.

"Then do not raise your voice at me again. I would hate to kill one of the endangered forest girls." He murmured a spell over my hand, healing the broken bones in an instant. "Yes, I believe that is your heritage. It would explain why someone unrelated to the royal family has such long and pointed ears..." he said as he rubbed the top of my ear. "Though I'm mystified as to how you got those red tinges in your hair. A relic of your father, perhaps? Forest Sprites are all women, and their traits are too weak to show through when mated with Hylian blood. Yet you show them as if they were dominant."

"...You have an interest in genetics, don't you?" I asked as I rubbed my eyes, finally through crying. It seemed like he brought this subject up all the time.

"But of course. I was fascinated as a child with my status as the sole male, so I made it my hobby to study the science of reproduction. And I'm rather fascinated with you at the moment. How a mixed girl could show traits of a recessive race when all other races are dominant is a wonderful riddle. Tell me, do you remember your parents?"

I had to think hard. I remembered little of my childhood before coming to the castle. "I don't remember a mother, but I do remember a little of a man taking care of me."

"Must have been your father. His appearance?"

"I don't remember, I was just a few years old. I do remember his voice, though. He used to sing to me. But something must have happened, I am an orphan after all."

"Men never fare well in the Lost Woods," he chuckled. "Curse of the Stalfos..."

* * *

When I had finally recovered enough to walk around, I took on a role I hadn't been prepared for. "I intend to make you my consort," Ganondorf said one day during a meal, after I asked why he cared so much about my health. I dropped the bowl I was holding at the time in shock, and it shattered on the floor.

"Are you really that surprised? After all, I was rather lenient in punishing you and I've kept you for far longer than needed after you betrayed your royal family."

"I-I... thought it was because of my blood."

He cocked his brow and laughed. "That's what made me decide," he answered, downing a healthy swig of ale. "You are an unexpected trophy, more appealing than the one you impersonated. I will have the girl for her power, but I will have you for my bed."

I knew there was always a chance this would happen, but for some reason I had put it out of my mind, perhaps due to the months of recovery. "A-And if I don't want to?"

"Then you will become a concubine instead. I'm sure some of the monsters enjoy womanflesh from time to time."

I lowered my head and sighed. "So I'm to be raped either way..."

"Consort to the King is a title above that of a simple harem girl. You have one responsibility in return for a life of rest, and that is to warm my bed. You may be hesitant now, but you will come to enjoy what I give you. You may even anticipate it." He stood from the table and headed to the door. As he left, he added, "you've already felt worse pain by my hand, now it will simply be pleasure."

* * *

**A/N: Forest sprites are a race similar to Kokiri, but have normal growth. They are in tune with nature and excel in Farore's magic. They are about 70 % female, hence the colloquial nickname "forest girls". Their skin is unusually clear, and has a slight green tinge to it (think Mr Spock). Forest sprites have light hair, usually blonde. Green eyes are a forest sprite trait, which Hylians picked up from interbreeding.**


	3. Chapter 3

I celebrated my eighteenth birthday by laying in bed, recovering from the previous night's rather painful activities. Ganondorf was a rough partner, always wanting to bite and scratch, and since becoming his toy, I rarely came away without purple marks peppering my neck and shoulders.

As usual, he was gone when I woke. The solar became my own room, though he knew the feel of the bed as much as I did. His own chambers were somewhere else in the castle. I knew it was near his organ room, and on one of the many occasions I was called to sit beside him as he played, I caught a glimpse of the antechamber. But he guarded them like a treasure room, and I had never stepped foot inside. I was always taken here.

A knock at the door caught my attention, and I watched as Madty, one of the servant women, entered and bowed. I was thankful that he never eliminated the castle staff, they had families after all.

"Forgive, m'lady, but you are requested in the great hall. The master wishes you to bring your instrument as well..."

I got up and dressed with her assistance. It was shameful, showing my heavily marked skin to another person, but Madty never judged me. She was older and her own children were grown, so she had seen a lot of circumstances. Even after I explained to her that I was not Princess Zelda as previously thought, she never stopped showing me kindness.

My legs still felt rather weak, even after six months of recovery, so Madty helped me to the great hall. I dismissed her when we reached the door; Ganondorf did not like weakness and I hated the thought of him punishing her for helping me along.

As I entered, I saw him sitting atop his throne listening to one of his desert women report. When I approached he simply pointed to the cushion at his feet, my cue to sit and start playing. I complied and took out my instrument, a simple lyre I had built myself from forest wood. Sure, as Zelda's shadow I could have gotten better material and even once played her sacred golden lyre, but I still enjoyed my handcrafted one.

"That song you favor, I want to hear it again," he ordered after the woman excused herself. I rose the lyre to start, when he pushed it down. "Not with the harp."

I looked back at him in curiosity. The lyre was the only instrument I knew...

"Sing it."

"Uh-of course, but the words..."

"Just make something up, or hum it. Quit stalling."

"Yes, my lord..." I thought for a second, trying to remember. It was the song I heard as a child, and I could clearly remember my father's voice as he sang, but the words escaped me. Instead I hummed the melody. He seemed pleased, and had me continue until dinner was ready.

Whenever I was called to dine with him, I always left hungry. He would have the grandest of meals prepared for himself, while I was given bread, soup, and a piece of fish if I was lucky. The meager meal was to "keep me appealing" as he put it, but I really didn't mind it so long as I wasn't surrounded by what I couldn't have. Unfortunately today was one of those evenings.

"You are quiet today."

I looked up from my rations, as he was swirling his wine glass around.

"I know you had that maid help you here. What's the matter, sore from yesterday? It's been months since I first took you, why are you still so delicate? What happened to the forest warrior who faced down my entourage?"

"...She starved to death in your dungeon." I pushed my untouched plate away, and stood from the table. "Forgive me, Master, I must retire."

I knew he would be angry, so I wasn't too surprised when he grabbed my arm and slammed me back down against the table. "You are ungrateful, you know that? I knew you weren't Zelda and could have killed you the second they brought you before me. But no, I was merciful. I could have put you out of your misery after pulling you from that cell, but again, I chose to let you live. I've even given you the freedom of your own chambers and the luxury of moving about the castle. The only thing I want in return is for you to be a good little girl and give yourself to me without question. What part of that is so hard to comprehend?"

"Let go."

He growled, and slammed his fist on the table beside my head. "Maybe I should toss you out into the hell that Castle Town has become. Let the ReDeads show you their hospitality."

"Please do, maybe they'll let me get away like they did with Impa and Princess Zelda."

At that moment Ganondorf's face filled with rage, becoming nearly as red as his hair. "SHUT. **UP!**" he roared, shaking his fist in the air, and a split second later he brought it down on my chest. A sickening crack filled the room, and I expelled a bit of blood onto his armor. Overwhelmed by pain, my vision started fading, but not before I saw the look on his face. He was... stunned.

"Shit... AGAHNIM!"


	4. Chapter 4

It hurts... Even more than the starvation or the broken hand. I kept telling myself not to wake up, because that would only bring more pain. I heard shouting, chanting, rustling, and clinking before I finally gave in and opened my eyes.

"Ah, those rotten Goddesses are good for something after all." Agahnim stood beside my bed, smiling. "Awake, are we?" It was strange to see him without his mask and hood. The only Sheikah I had seen uncovered like that was Impa, because of her high status.

"...I thought Sheikah were bound to serve the royal family," I mumbled, my mind wandering as if under a spell.

"Heh, to be technical, I **do** serve the royalty of Hyrule," Agahnim laughed as he wiped my forehead. "You might not know this, but there was a schism quite some time ago that split my people into two tribes. That's where Impa's fealty comes from. The Sheikah were involved in a war against the crown. My ancestors refused to acknowledge that we did anything wrong. Impa's cried their eyes out and begged for forgiveness."

"Tear..."

"Yes, smart girl. Their emblem weeps." Agahnim tapped the pendant hanging from his neck. It looked just like the symbol on Impa's gear, except that there were also lashes on the bottom. "Our eyes open wide with pride, while theirs are bogged down with lamentation. But enough about me, you need to quiet down. That anesthesia spell you're under is quite inebriating. Wouldn't want you to say something you'll regret."

Madty came up behind Agahnim, handing him fresh towels. She looked quite concerned. "Is m'lady still in pain? Lord Agahnim has been working all night, he'll fix you up for sure."

The Sheikah was rubbing his hands all over my chest and stomach, coating my skin with an unfamiliar potion and muttering spells. "Thankfully we were able to intervene so swiftly. Master was quite worried about what he'd done, I thought he'd tear his hair out. But I think we'll have you back to normal in a few months with minimal complications."

Ganondorf was... worried? About me? I thought about Agahnim's words, until his hand covered my eyes. Within seconds I was back in slumber.

A few days later I was coherent enough to ask questions, and Agahnim was all too happy to answer them.

"What did you mean when you said your master was worried?" I asked, flexing my toes as Agahnim had instructed.

"He never had any intention of harming you, at least not this badly," Agahnim explained as he poked the underside of my feet. I had been complaining of stiffness, and since I couldn't walk around, this was his solution. "Contrary to what you may think, Master really does have an interest in you."

"Then why force me? Don't Gerudo know how to court women?"

"I assure you, Master is quite the expert in courting women. How do you think he got an audience with Hyrule's king in the first place? Charming Liara was nothing, even older women fall for his desert eyes." Satisfied with my feet, Agahnim began massaging my calves.

"...Well I don't know what anyone sees in them, even cats have gold eyes. The hair and skin would be a more obvious attraction."

"Well then, I'll have to let him know you are attracted to redheads," Agahnim said, grinning as I scoffed in protest. "You know, if you only opened up to him as you have with me, things could work out. You make an excellent consort."

That's the last thing I want. I tried to come up with a response, but at that moment Ganondorf walked in. "Agahnim, leave."

The Sheikah bowed and hurried out, and I turned my head to avoid eye contact. He strode up to the bed and turned my head back.

"...I've discovered some things."

"Good for you."

He scowled and gripped my chin. "Watch your tongue, lest it cause you more injury. ...Your mother was indeed a Forest Sprite. I have proof."

I shook off a few tears of pain once he released my jaw. "How could you know who my parents were? I was an orphan. I had nobody."

"You had a nanny." He handed me a worn journal, very simple but absolutely filled with writing. "I found that in an abandoned cottage near the edge of the forest. Your name is mentioned several times. Your nanny even called you 'the little princess'."

I looked over the book. I tried my hardest but I didn't remember any nanny. As I was staring at it, Ganondorf took it back and read from the first section.

"'The little princess is resembling her mother more and more every day. Forest girls have such beautiful and fine hair, and while little Marin has her father's color, the texture is a match to her mother's.

"'It's a shame, but she has been asking where her father went. I don't yet have the heart to tell her he succumbed; to lose her mother in childbirth and now her father to foolish soldiers' ignorance... Praise Din that he was strong enough to fetch me before the injuries took him. The little princess should not be left to fend for herself...' It sounds as though you were loved. What happened to this nanny? Were they who taught you how to fight?"

"I... I can remember bits and pieces about a man. My father, I suppose. But no nannies or my mother. If this person didn't want me left alone, then why did my life end up the way it did?" I hung my head in despair, and surprisingly, he did not retort. He just sat the book in my lap and left the room.

* * *

I read the book as I recovered in bed. It covered about three years, from my father's death at age three to an abrupt end around age six. I still could not remember this nanny, though I gathered that she was an older female. I started to think it was a forgery (why else wouldn't I remember my childhood) until I read the final entry.

_Marin got lost in the woods today. It must be because her father's blood shines through her features. The woods are hostile to those not born of the forest. She eventually came back to me at nightfall, crying and saying that a cruel Skull Kid attacked her and stole her necklace. I will have to try and get it back for her; it was her father's and I know how much she treasured it._

I remembered being attacked by a skull kid and having my necklace stolen. It was a memory I kept to myself, not even Impa knew. If this nanny did go looking for it, it would explain why the journal ended so abruptly. If she became a stalfos, she would have lost all memory of me. But I would not have lost memory of her...

"You look pensive."

I looked up and found Ganondorf leaning against the doorframe. He was in casual wear, and must have retired from his 'kingly duties'.

"If someone becomes a stalfos, do they fade from the memories of others?"

He looked intrigued for a moment before responding. "I don't believe so. They lose all memory of who they are, but that would not wipe them from history. Why, do you believe that is what happened to your nanny? I doubt she became a stalfos. She raised you a whole three years after your father died, that is long enough to know how to survive in the wood."

"I guess you're right. But none of it makes sense. I was born to a forest girl and a man with reddish hair, who loved me very much but was killed by soldiers. This woman raised me after he died, but disappeared when I was six. I then forget everything about her and my childhood for ten years? Goddesses, WHY?" I hung my head and pounded my fist on the bed.

To my surprise, Ganondorf sat on the bed and wrapped his arms around me. "Perhaps, my Little Princess, the ones responsible for your troubles are the ones who pulled you from your home..." He nuzzled his head into my neck as he ran his fingers through my hair, sending a chill up my spine.

"Please... not tonight."

He ignored me and started running a hand down my waist. "You're still so thin..."

I looked up to protest, but he took my lips with his own. After a heated kiss, he took the book from me and set it to the side. I cringed when he laid me down, expecting the worst. Instead he laid atop the covers next to me, studying my face.

"I see now why the king took you away. So much more regal than his own kin... Dare I say it, you match the beauty of the Goddess of the Sand."

I couldn't help myself. "Then why starve me? Why hit me? Why rape me?"

He answered in the Gerudo language, and though I didn't understand what he said, I had a feeling I'd heard those words before. From my father. My eyes must have gone wide at the realization, because Ganondorf suddenly sat up. "Did, did you understand what I just said? How?"

"I don't know what you said exactly, but I remember hearing a part of that before. 'Ai-shi-te' something. I think my father may have-"

"There is no way your father said those words," he interrupted, his face turning into a scowl. "We do not teach our language to outsiders, especially men... You must have heard them from your nanny. Yes, that makes more sense. Your nanny was probably a Gerudo who left the tribe."

I was thoroughly confused. He stared at the journal, then clicked his teeth and stood from the bed. Mumbling under his breath, he headed for the door. "I don't understand, there's no way that..."

"Ganondorf...?" I don't know why I called out to him, but he turned and looked my way.

"...You truly are a mystery, Little Princess," he replied as he left the room.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N:Remember this story? :D

I will warn you, Marin is a little bit of a mental mess by the end of this chapter, though it's not because of any abuse from Ganondorf. It's actually because of something he did three months ago...

* * *

I didn't see Ganondorf for a while, so it was quite a surprise when I woke up under his arm. His skin looked a tad darker than usual, making me think he was out in the sun. I wonder then, if he went on some kind of campaign or battle...

"How old were you when they took you away?"

He startled me, I didn't even realize he was awake. "Uhh... maybe seven? I was young..."

"Too young to be living alone." He sat up and turned my way, the look on his face pensive. "Does the name Nana mean anything to you?"

Nana? Nana... I thought for a minute, trying to recall whether I knew anyone with that name. "It sounds familiar, but I'm not getting any miraculous flashbacks. It might have been the nanny's name, but I probably didn't call her that. Did you find someone?"

"Nana is the name of a somewhat prominent Gerudo woman who became a recluse after the death of the previous king," Ganondorf explained. "She made sporadic appearances in the Valley until twelve years ago, which coincides with the last entry in that journal."

"So you think she's the one who raised me?" I asked, sitting up in intrigue. I noticed that his gaze shifted lower down my body and his eyebrow raised, but wrote it off as his normal lust. "But couldn't there be other Gerudo that have gone missing over the years?"

"You are correct, though few others would be addressing you as a princess." He then dropped something on the bed, and moved to the door. "...How long has it been since I've harmed you?"

I looked to the item, then up to him in confusion. "Um, maybe six months? The doctor said I had recovered at three but you all advised I remain at rest for-"

Ganondorf abruptly pulled on the servant bell and shouted out the door. "AGAHNIM!" He then ignored my bewilderment as he began barking orders to the servants who answered.

"Agahnim, I want a full breakfast for two prepared and brought up here at once. Make sure everything is made with care, I do not wish to be poisoned."

"Yes, Master Ganondorf," Agahnim answered, sneaking a glance at me before departing.

While Ganondorf was distracted, I picked up the item he dropped on the bed and looked inside. I gasped and teared up as I withdrew the necklace I never thought I'd see again. In a fervor I tumbled out of bed and tried to embrace Ganondorf in gratitude, but only managed to collapse at his feet. Thankfully he caught me before I further harmed myself.

"You remain in bed," he ordered, though with an unusually soft undertone to his voice. "I will not have any damage done to the future princess. She's already in such a fragile vessel."

I shook my head at his cryptic words, then tightened my arms around his neck. "Where did you find this? Oh thank you, you have no idea how much this necklace means to me!"

"I have a very good idea how much it means to you," he said as he slid me back under the sheets. "It was hidden very thoroughly inside the cabin. And now that I've seen it, I don't think I'm mistaken about who your nanny was, _your highness_."

Huh? Ganondorf smirked at me, and I was about to question him, but the door opened and in came Agahnim and the servants with a cart full of two heaping trays of breakfast items. Even on Ganondorf's hungriest of days there was no way he could finish all of that... Was this another one of his plans to shame me about my appearance?

"Ah, good. Agahnim, you may wait outside until I call for you." Ganondorf dismissed the servants, then picked up a plate and started gathering items from the cart. Healthy servings of eggs, porridge, fruit, bread, and juice... Suddenly the tray was sat down on my lap.

"Eat."

I stared at it in disbelief. This was more food than I had been allotted the entire time I'd known him. "...This is for me?"

He rolled his eyes at my hesitation, and speared an apple slice. "Of course it is. Now eat."

"You'll understand my skepticism, when all I've been offered in the past was crumbs." I saw his eyes narrow in the slightest, so I quickly took a bite of something so as not to seem ungrateful. The whole reason I was in this bed was because of a disagreement over food as I'm sure he will recall, something he himself brought up just this morning.

"...Perhaps if you had told me earlier, you would have received proper nutrition sooner."

There he goes again. "You have been speaking in riddles all morning," I mumbled once my mouth was clear. "First you say that my nanny is addressing me as princess for a reason. Then you say something about a future princess and a vessel. Then you call me 'your highness', and now you're saying I have to tell you something. What's going on?!"

Ganondorf let out a short laugh, and sat on the edge of the bed. "You are such a child. Do you not know what this necklace is?"

"It was my father's..." I looked at it to see if I missed something. It's a simple metal emblem, a curve with two wisps that almost resembles a claw or talon.

"Yes, it was your father's. And how did your father happen to get an emblem of the lost Gerudo king?"

I snapped my attention back to Ganondorf. "Lost Gerudo king?"

"Yes, the king who was supposedly born shortly after the previous king died and about twenty four years before I was born," he replied. "It's a strange phenomenon, three kings born in the span of two hundred years. That's why few people believe the lost king exists. Nana worked for the previous king. In fact, it was rumored she had something to do with his death, and that's why she became a recluse."

"...You're not suggesting my father might be this 'lost king', are you?"

Ganondorf's grin grew from ear to ear. "Well, _you're_ the one who originally suggested that your father spoke to you in the Gerudo language, and you do have red hair. Your necklace resembles the symbol said to be the lost king's emblem. But the lost king is a rumor I have yet to substantiate without Nana's presence. I need to speak to Nana to confirm my suspicions, otherwise you're just a forest child with a Gerudo nanny."

I huffed. "Alright, then if I'm not royalty, what's with the breakfast and the princess bit?"

"You already know the answer to that," he said with a sigh as he stood and assembled his own tray. "I was going to find out sooner or later, there was no use keeping it from me."

"I'm not keeping anything from you!" I nearly shouted. I could not believe the words that started coming out of my mouth, but I began to rant. "Near death experiences aside, you've been fairly decent to me for someone who is supposed to be my enemy! You gave me a reprieve from pretending to be Zelda, you let me lay around and rest, and you've given me my treasured memories back. What cause do I have to hide things from you?"

Ganondorf stood and stared at me until I was finished, then took the breakfast tray from my lap and hauled me over to the mirror hanging on the bathroom door. "How long has it been since you last took a good look at yourself? Answer me honestly."

"...I don't know, a month?" Usually Madty comes in and washes my hair in bed, and I clean myself off with cloths. If I use a mirror, it is a hand mirror from the dresser to straighten my hair. I'm not too fond of looking at myself.

After an annoyed sigh, Ganondorf snatched off my shift and turned me to the side. "Well?"

"Well what?" I ask him, hurrying to cover my breasts before glancing into the mirror. At first I don't understand what I'm supposed to be looking at, until I realize that my stomach is protruding. Except my stomach is up here, and the bump is down by my...

Oh.

Oh _no_.

Am I...?

I scurried forward into the bathroom and shut the door, locking it before Ganondorf even realized what happened. Yes, I know he could break it down in a second if he wished to, but I wasn't thinking very clearly. I collapsed against the door and started crying, scared out of my mind. I'm not ready to be a mother, and I'm not sure I can protect my child from whatever horrible things Ganondorf might do or want to involve her in.

"Marin, come out."

I wanted to hide, so I crawled into the bathtub and buried myself in one of the towels. I heard a growl and the sound of the lock breaking, then I was suddenly hoisted up and carried back into the bedroom. I cried and screamed the whole way, enough that he had to restrain me with his magic.

"You were so calm you were actually calling me decent a moment ago," Ganondorf said as he leaned over me on the bed. "Has pregnancy frightened you that much? Every woman I have ever known has been thrilled upon such wonderful news. Whatever scares you is inconsequential, no harm will come to you or the child here."

I glared at him through my tears. "So you say, but _you_ are here! How do I know _you_ won't harm her?! You've driven me to death _twice_...!"

"Yes, I've harmed you. But I do not intend to harm you again, so long as you don't do anything stupid," he grumbled. Turning to the now cold breakfast, he picked up my tray and turned back to me. "This discussion has gone on long enough. You are malnourished and are harming our daughter more than I am at this point. I am going to release you and _you are going to eat_."

Ganondorf waved his hand over the meal, warming it, then released the bond holding me down to the bed. I reluctantly sat up, but first pulled a shift from the dresser next to the bed and covered my chest. I stared at the slight swell above my hips with tears in my eyes, hoping and praying that I found some way to keep the child safe once it was born.

How could I be so foolish to not realize I was pregnant? I was truly bedridden for only the first three of the last six months, shortly after that I was allowed to walk again but Agahnim and the doctor did not like me doing so. After the first three months Ganondorf shared my bed many times, though he only took my body a handful of those times. I don't remember getting sick, perhaps because of my meager diet. And I suppose I didn't notice my weight gain because I haven't been out of bed.

"Marin..."

I stirred from my thoughts to find a spoon of porridge in front of my face, so I leaned forth and licked it clean. I took the spoon and tray and fed myself, rather than having him feed me like a spoiled child. I saw him out of the corner of my eye beckon Agahnim into the room, and judging from Agahnim's shocked expression, he now knows I'm expecting.

Unable to eat anymore, I collapsed over onto the bed. Even though I don't remember her, I really wish I had my nanny right now, because I could use the guidance of a strong older woman at this moment. I feel so conflicted... I want to weep over the fact that I am forced to bear such a horrible man's child, but at the same time this child is innocent and I don't want her to be labeled for his crimes.

I don't know what to do...


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Hello! Apologies for the long delay, and the short and somewhat painful chapter. I was going to have this be a two part chapter, but then I figured given the tone of this little snippet and what I have planned for the next part, it works better to just split them up. Plus I haven't written that other part yet and didn't want to keep you waiting. :)

* * *

Sigh... I feel like a plump feasting fowl. In the four months since finding out I was pregnant, I haven't done anything more than lie in bed or meander around the castle. What's worse is that Ganondorf has made a habit of hovering around me every opportunity he gets, even going so far as to have me sit at his feet or in his lap while he's holding meetings in the throne room.

I know why he's doing this, he wants to "show me off". It goes back to his obsession with genetics, and with the theory that my father is this lost Gerudo king. He hasn't proven it yet because he can't find this Nana lady, but I think he really believes my father was a Gerudo.

According to what he's said before, male and female Gerudo are technically two different types. Female Gerudo blood is the strongest in Hyrule, while male Gerudo was long thought to be the weakest until the discovery of the Forest Sprites. Any species who mated with a Gerudo female would produce a Gerudo, but Gerudo males could not pass on their race.

Except of course in the very rare circumstance where a Gerudo male coupled with a Forest Sprite, which would produce a child that was legitimately half Gerudo. Which he thinks is me. And now I'm pregnant with a little baby that supposedly inherited two equal Gerudo parts. He's all excited that she'll be "purely Gerudo", because as he informed me hybrids always pass on their Gerudo gene.

I think this is a load of rubbish, and it has only increased my desire for escape. I don't want my baby involved in some kind of scheme to further the interests of the Gerudo king. I would love for her to be a strong woman, and the Gerudo are certainly strong female role models, but I don't want her to be a dirty thief. Ganondorf has led his people away from where their Goddess of the Sand would approve...

"Marin..."

Speak of the devil. Ganondorf strolled in and immediately sat on the bed beside me, then started rubbing his hand all over my stomach. "My little one, you're growing so fast. It won't be long before we welcome you into the world."

I snorted in contempt, causing him to roll his eyes. "You act so displeased whenever I see you. Are there things you want that you're not being provided? Or could it be that you are still resentful over becoming pregnant?"

"I harbor no resentment towards an innocent child," I answered, smacking his hands away. "What I do resent is you parading me around like some kind of pathetic trophy. I'm sure you've had plenty of chances to procreate before this, so stop acting like it's some sort of miraculous achievement! If you want a girl to hang on your arm, take one of your warrior women or one of those whores who throw themselves at the soldiers' feet. Leave me and my baby in peace!"

Ganondorf leered at me as I sat with my head down and pouted. "...You have quite the sharp tongue today. Apparently you have forgotten what happens when you let that mouth of yours run wild."

Uh oh. Panic filled me as Ganondorf pushed me over onto my back, then used a spell to hold me in place as he rose and began removing his armor. "I see now that you have become too accustomed to the reprieve that maternity has granted you. I shall have to remind you of the other duties expected from the king's consort."

When Ganondorf was down to his undershirt and trousers, he moved to one of the dressers and withdrew two long strips of velvet. I had no idea what he was planning until my arms were suddenly drawn back, and before I knew it, I was restrained to the headboard with my nightgown removed.

"You have my apologies in advance, Marin," he said, settling between my knees and slowly removing his shirt. "But I'm afraid this is the only way to teach you a lesson without harming you or the child."

I struggled against the ties binding me to the headboard, but knowing him, he transferred the earlier spell holding me down into the cords so they wouldn't come loose. Terrified, I made one last plea to his humanity. "Please, don't do this..."

For a brief moment I thought I saw him pause, but I couldn't be that lucky. "You brought this upon yourself."

Tears came to my eyes then, and they didn't stop until my body gave in to unconsciousness.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Sorry I haven't updated anything in a while. Things have been rough.

* * *

I stopped talking to everyone but my baby after that.

At least he had the decency to let me wake up alone after what he did, but private time became a luxury from then on. Usually Madty or one of the other maids came in to help me bathe before breakfast, but this time it was Agahnim and the doctor.

"Master is otherwise engaged at the moment, but he has requested that the doctor give you and the child an exam," the Sheikah explained in his flat tenor. "He expects you will cooperate with us."

My silence frustrated Agahnim at first, but the doctor didn't seem to mind. He did his exam, feeling me all over and spending most of the time on my lower abdomen and pelvis. "It feels as though the child is positioned correctly. You can expect mother and child both to grow quite a bit more, though it will at most be only two more months before delivery."

"Two more months?" Agahnim crossed his arms and scoffed. "I thought you determined that we had at least three to go, based on your little timeline."

"No, this child is definitely coming within those two months," the doctor reiterated. "Make sure his majesty knows that the last two months of a pregnancy always lead to more hysteria for the mother. You will need someone to help her in and out of bed to use the washroom, especially as it gets more frequent in the last couple weeks. Otherwise, a midwife should be sufficient for the birth."

The doctor gathered his things and left, while a few maids scurried in and shuttled me off to the bathroom. When they were finished I was returned to the bed, and of course Agahnim was still there. I ignored him and picked at the breakfast they left for me, trying my best to eat for the child's sake.

"...Was whatever he did to you really _that_ bad? Not a peep in a fortnight, from a mouth that previously ran like a leaky faucet."

I didn't even spare him a glance, but rather shoved the breakfast tray off the side of the bed. He reached out with a spell and stopped it before the contents splattered to the floor, muttering curses in Sheikah as he moved to intervene.

"Hysteria, indeed. You're lucky I have the temper to handle your outbursts, the Gerudo women in the Valley will not put up with this or your very probable postpartum issues."

At the mention of the Gerudo Valley I gave him my attention, and he looked as though he said something he shouldn't have. That was when the person I wanted to see the least entered the room, and scowled at the scene before him. Agahnim quickly took the tray and left, anxious to avoid reprimand.

"The doctor sent word that the original timeline was off, and that you are due within the next eight weeks," Ganondorf said, studying his reflection in the mirror. "I suppose this is pleasing news for you?"

He paused as though he expected me to answer. He got the same treatment as Agahnim.

"...You are acting like a child. Is this how you plan to get back at me, the silent treatment?"

"..."

"For fuck's sake..."

I actually looked up at that, because I don't think I've ever heard him use such strong language. He was running a hand through his hair, and sighing. When he turned my way, he had a scowl on his face, but it lessened somewhat when he realized I was paying attention.

"...Things have come up, leading to a change of plan. And as much as you're not going to like it, it is necessary for the safety of both you and the child."

What?

"As soon as I can finish preparations, you and Agahnim will be leaving the castle for the Gerudo Valley."

I sat up as straight as I could, disapproval written all over my face. So that's what the Sheikah meant. Ganondorf rolled his eyes at my scowl, and continued his speech.

"Travel in your condition is not wise, especially so close to delivery. But the castle has been under increasing attack lately, and as much as I hate to admit it, it worries me to have you here. I can withstand any number of attacks; you however are carrying a child and have weakened defenses, plus when the child is born you will be incapacitated. I will not be able to protect three people at once."

I was stunned. Ganondorf was actually concerned about me. Well, maybe he was more concerned about the baby, but still. I rubbed my stomach, then nervously glanced toward the window. Was there really a threat so powerful as to frighten Ganondorf? Didn't he take the Golden Power from the Goddesses? What could defeat him, then?

A dip in the mattress caught my attention, and I looked back from the window to find him sitting beside me, studying my belly. "She'll benefit from a childhood in the Valley. The scholars there will teach her of the Goddess of the Sand, Gerudo and Sheikah myth without any foolish Hylian censorship, and of course when she's old enough, she will learn how to become a strong Gerudo warrior."

...I suppose that might be nice, but what if she doesn't want to be a warrior? What if she wants nothing to do with battle? Ganondorf must have realized I what I was thinking about, because he snorted and shook his head. "You can't expect a Gerudo child to not know how to defend herself. If she wants to choose the path of the Priestess, fine, but she must at least learn the basic skills. Even you know how to handle a sword."

Ganondorf marched out of the room, leaving me alone for the first time in a while. I felt an agitated kick from the little one, so I cooed and assured her it would be okay. No matter what happened, I would make sure no harm came to her. That was a promise.


	8. Chapter 8

It was a month before Ganondorf was ready to send me to Gerudo Valley, and of course I was snappier than ever. Everyone who came close to me got glared at and sometimes even growled at depending on how crabby I was, at times even causing the maids to ask Agahnim for help getting me into the bathroom when I wouldn't cooperate.

I was constantly irritated over the mess my body was making, what with my breasts swollen and leaking onto my shift, the occasional bladder accident when I coughed or sneezed, and the massive amount of sweating from hot flashes causing my bedsheets to turn into a soggy heap.

As much as I complained, I was ready to meet my little baby. I was terrified for the journey through Hyrule Field, but once it was over, it was only a short month of suffering through the desert heat before I would be able to hold her in my arms. I wrapped my hands around my stomach and cooed to her, letting her know how eager I was for her arrival.

The flurry of maids bursting through the door let me know what was coming, and sure enough, Ganondorf was the next person into the room. He looked at the women loading clothing into a trunk, and scoffed. "No, not the outerwear. Pack the shifts and underclothes. She'll be staying in bed."

The maids finished their packing and took the trunk out of the room, and as they did so, I gave him a very serious pout. So I was to be on house arrest?

"Heh, what do you think you'll be doing, running around the desert with a newborn? The Valley women will give you more appropriate clothing once you've healed after the birth. Now come on, you need to get cleaned up."

Ganondorf hoisted me up, to my chagrin, and carried me off to the bathroom. After fighting with him as he scrubbed me (and I don't see why he had to do it), he brought me back out and threw a set of clean traveling clothes over my head.

"Put your slippers on and let's go, you're not incapable of walking." I just stood there as he glared at me, and in a little move of defiance, I sat back down on the bed. His eyes narrowed and I swear his breathing picked up. "Stand up."

I shook my head no.

His aura flared. "Girl, don't. I said I would not harm you again, but you do not want to make me angrier than I already am. There are all sorts of things I could do that would make you upset, and I would prefer not to resort to them. I assume _you_ want to be the one who nurses that child?"

When I figured out the meaning of his threat, I forced myself to my feet. He was not taking my baby away from me, and I let him know so by waddling right over to him and jabbing him in the stomach.

He flinched from surprise, then grimaced. "You have got to be the most irrational, hysterical, hormonal pregnant woman I have ever known. Talk to me if you disagree with my plan!"

Wrapping my hands around my stomach, I decided to break my silence. "...My baby."

"Then you'll do as I say," he sneered, kicking the slippers my way. Reluctantly, I put them on and followed him out the door. He took me out front to a carriage, where Agahnim, two of the maids, and one of his iron soldiers stood waiting.

"I've already sent that older maid you fancy on ahead, to get the Valley nursemaids used to your temper tantrums," Ganondorf explained, as the rest of them boarded the carriage. "It will be a day at most on the road, and I expect you to stay in the carriage. If for any reason you must leave it before you arrive, and I would encourage you _not to_, you will not leave Agahnim's side."

I started to nod that I got the drift, but at the same time the little one acted up and I had to grab my back and grimace in pain.

"I see the child understands the gravity of the situation better than you do," he answered with a smirk, guiding me toward the door. "There is ample room inside for you to remain lying, it's better that way if she's kicking hard enough to cramp. I will do my best to be there for the birth, once I have contained the threats against me."

Ganondorf handed me my small traveling bag, containing my lyre, the journal, and a notebook I had been doodling baby ideas in. Then, just before helping me up into the carriage, he surprised me by kissing me goodbye. I barely had time to react, since the maids grabbed me to lay me down and he walked off to give Agahnim and the soldier instructions. Soon we were on the road, and I was lying there staring at the carriage roof wondering if there was some deeper meaning behind it.

* * *

A/N: FYI it sounds gross but yes, you might have some breast discharge during pregnancy. It's normal and usually very light. Marin is exaggerating a bit, considering that she's barely nineteen and doesn't know what's going on.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Hi, remember this one? Still working on it... This is one of the most important chapters in the story. You may have seen the events of this chapter coming, but perhaps it doesn't turn out the way you thought...

For the record, I haven't played the new game yet so this story won't have anything to do with it.

* * *

I had fallen asleep while contemplating the meaning behind Ganondorf's kiss, but was jerked awake as the carriage suddenly lurched to the side. I heard the maids screaming before I realized what was going on, then I was suddenly thrown onto the roof. A shard of broken glass from one of the windows had carved a large gash in my forehead, and I struggled to see past the blood stinging in my eye. The carriage had been completely upturned, and as the door was thrown open, I saw a claw of some sort grab the two huddled maids and rip them out of the cabin. Their screaming was cut off by a sinewy growl, and then a horrendous sound which I can only describe as snapping filled the air.

I panicked. Some kind of dragon or monster must have attacked us, and the carriage was shaking as the monster swiped back and forth. I could hear thunder strikes and smell the odor of magic spells, so Agahnim must be fighting it. I needed help, but I didn't want to scream for anyone, lest that thing hear me and hurt the baby...

Could I crawl away? Peeking out the broken carriage window, I first saw the shattered armor and corpse of the iron soldier. As I craned my neck to see how Agahnim was faring, the back end of the carriage suddenly compressed on top of my legs.

The scream that came out of me had to be the most horrible sound I've ever made. I couldn't feel sensation in my legs, I couldn't move, and the worst part, I felt wet. Like something was leaking.

...Oh _no_.

"AGAHNIM! SOMEONE! _HELP!_"

I tried pushing on the debris, to see if I could lever myself out. I had no strength to even wiggle from underneath it. If only I knew magic...

Just then, the carriage above me was slashed away, and the monster peered in at me. It's nostrils flared, probably on account of all the blood and fluid I was leaking. I screamed from fright, and tried to throw a piece of nearby debris at it out of desperation. Instead, I only managed to anger it. In retaliation, it swiped at me, knocking my head back against the ground. It's cries became a distant whine as I faded into darkness.

* * *

Agahnim woke in the realm of Shadow, his robes torn and his face bloodied beyond belief. He'd never lost concentration on a spell so badly that the blowback knocked him here. He stumbled to his feet, not an easy task as one of his legs was clearly broken. Blinking back into the realm of Light, he cursed at what he saw. The creature was nowhere in sight, and the carriage was completely destroyed. The Iron Knuckle had fallen alongside him, this he knew. But he did not know that the dragon killed the two handmaids, as evidenced by the bloody dress scraps and caps laying along the rubble.

Bracing for the worst, Agahnim limped over and inspected the remains of the carriage. There was a large stain inside what was once the cabin, composed of a mixture of fluids he couldn't readily identify. Leading out from the debris was a wide and obvious blood trail, most likely human. A few nightgown scraps and red hairs were caught in the carriage debris, and laying just beyond the blood trail was Marin's little travel bag.

Agahnim picked up the bag, and let out a deep sigh. "This is going to break Master's heart."

* * *

Pain... It hurts... so cold...

Is that... humming...? It was a struggle but I finally opened my eyes, and was greeted by the ceiling of a wooden cottage. I could smell soup cooking nearby, and whoever was humming was getting closer.

The pain suddenly returned with a vengeance, and it was centered in my abdomen. I could barely move, but I forced my hands to reach out and make sure the baby was okay. Don't let that pain be anything serious... But when I touched my stomach, I stopped breathing. The baby was gone.

As soon as I started shaking and crying, the person who was humming stopped and hurried over. "Oh no, my dear, what's wrong? Is it the pain? Your medicine isn't quite ready yet..."

An older Gerudo woman...? She glanced at my chest, before looking back at me. "My baby," I mumbled, and patted my stomach. I couldn't bear to say she was gone, so I hoped the woman understood. After a second of confusion, she smiled and rubbed my tears away.

"My Little Princess... there's nothing to worry about. Look." She helped me look down at my chest, and when I did, I was stunned. Laying there, fast asleep, was the cutest little newborn baby in all of Hyrule. My little baby was sleeping on my chest, and I didn't even realize it. The tears of pain became tears of joy, and I flailed around trying to hold her.

The woman very carefully rearranged me so that I was cradling the baby closer to my cheek. "You'll need to be very gentle with her," she warned. "From what I can tell, she's born about a month earlier than she should be. I've started putting together some medicines that should help boost her systems a bit, but for now we need to keep her warm and make sure she gets fed on time. I just hope being pure Gerudo doesn't mean she'll more susceptible to sickness..."

Pure Gerudo? Wait a minute, how could this woman know about Ganondorf's suspicions? Unless... "Are, are you Nana?"

The woman stopped fiddling with the blankets, and looked up at me with surprise on her face. "What?! Oh, child, don't tell me those Hylian fools have forced you to forget your own childhood... I am indeed Nana, though you've never called me anything but Nanny."

Nanny...? So both Ganondorf and I had the right idea, I was raised by Gerudo because I was a Gerudo. My father was killed by Hylian soldiers not as an accident but on purpose, and my convenient orphaning coincided with enough time to harden me for battle and then a visit to the forest by the king. We were used. "...What happened to you when I was six?"

"I went looking for your necklace," Nana explained, picking up the charm around my neck. "It belonged to Nikolai, your father. He left it to you, and I'd be damned if I let some enchanted pile of leaves steal it. Well... those Skull Kids tricked me into entering the Lost Woods." Shaking her head, she continued, "I have protection from the Forest Sprites against becoming a Stalfos. They granted it to me because I took care of your mother. But the Skull Kids can still manipulate what you see, and so they caused me to fall into the underground Forest Temple. I defeated them and found the necklace, but it took me a year in your time to get back out of the labyrinth. That's how I found out that Harkinian had taken you away from me."

"I see..."

"Don't fret, it's all in the past, now," she said with a smile, wiping my forehead. "I'm going to have a look at your stomach now, how about you try feeding the little dear?"

"Feeding?" I looked down at my baby, she was squirming a little almost like she was going to start crying. Does that mean she's hungry? "How do I...?"

Nana chuckled. "Start by opening your shift, of course. The baby will do the rest." She positioned me and showed me how to express a bit of milk, and sure enough, the baby started drinking on her own. "Let her have what she wants."

The focus then switched to my stomach. Nana moved the blankets aside, and pulled up my shift. "I do not wish to alarm you, but I must tell you that I had to cut you open to save the baby." My eyes immediately snapped to her direction, and she had a grim look on her face. "You were unconscious and bleeding in several places, not to mention the fluid leaking from your womb. My flash grenade scared that dragon off, but who knows if it would return. I had to act quickly, so I made a decision." She held up a mirror, and I could see a long, red line leaking through several layers of gauze bandages wrapped around my stomach and lower abdomen. I looked away while she applied medicine and changed the bandages, as my imagination would suffice.

"...How did you know?"

"That you were attacked? I've been following the activities of our great Lord Ganondorf for quite some time now," Nana admitted with a snort, "ever since he started poking around my home. Since he was an adolescent, he has been fascinated with the legends surrounding your father. I was able to remain off his radar until this past year, when he began asking about me in the village. He had discovered this cottage, and immediately deduced it belonged to me. That's how I figured out he breeched Hyrule Castle, and had captured you. I learned from some contacts in the village that he had taken a girl who resembled Zelda as his consort, who I knew had to be you. So I left some things out for you when I heard him sneaking around the house, and I planned to come see you when you arrived in the Valley."

But that dragon messed with everyone's plans, didn't it? I shuddered as I watched the baby stop suckling and start nodding off. To think I almost lost her... Nana showed me how to burp a baby after feeding, taking care of it since I was injured. While she was doing so, a thought occurred to me. "Nana, what was my mother's name?"

"Hmm? Oh, Filimena."

I like it. "I think I'll call her that. It's pretty."

Nana smiled. "I remember when you were born, it was almost a month before Nikolai remembered that he needed to name you. He was very shaken up over your mother's death, of course, but he loved you very much and was asking me all kinds of questions about what would make a good name... Eventually I told him the story of the forbidden king."

"Forbidden king?"

"Do you know how the Gerudo choose their leaders?" I nodded, having listened to Ganondorf's ramblings about genetics multiple times. "Many years ago, there was a young king named Kafei Marin," Nana continued. "King Kafei was a very popular king, having brought wealth to the people and even come close to making peace with the Hylians. However, during his reign, another young male Gerudo appeared and accused Kafei of improperly taking the throne. Back in those days, it was common practice to sequester male Gerudo until they turned sixteen years of age. Rather than face a war for the crown, Kafei Marin admitted to the people that he was really a woman, and abdicated."

"You mean the Gerudo were led to prosperity by a girl?" I shook my head. "Don't women always lead in the absence of men?"

"King Icarus was supposedly ashamed that his family were unable to achieve the level of prosperity in several decades that a young commoner found in only a few years," Nana explained. "It is rumored that he was responsible for hiring the Hylian soldiers that eventually assassinated her in her adult years." She paused to shake her head. "Anyway, after I told your father this story, he immediately decided to name you after her. Now that I think about it, I'm surprised Ganondorf didn't connect the dots. From what I've heard, he adores the Forbidden King story more than the legend of your father."

"Maybe he did," I mumbled, cuddling Filimena tighter. "He knew I wasn't Zelda the second he laid eyes on me, and kept asking questions to find out what race I was. As soon as he found out I had Forest Sprite blood and resembled one, he made me his plaything. Then when I remembered my father speaking to me in Gerudo, he flipped out. Immediately afterward, he started calling me 'your highness'. He had to have known."

Nana scowled, before laying a warm rag atop my forehead. "Then terrible things are going to happen when he discovers the wreck from that carriage."


	10. Chapter 10

Agahnim struggled, but finally managed to teleport himself to Hyrule Castle. He collapsed inside the throne room as he reappeared, letting out a miserable whine that drew Ganondorf from his study.

When Ganondorf saw the collapsed form of his second in command, he immediately let control over his dark magic slip, and the wave of energy emanating from him made the room fixtures shake. Agahnim felt it and turned his Master's way, letting Ganondorf see the extent of the Sheikah's condition.

"Agahnim..."

"Forgive me, Master... I've-"

"Quiet!" Ganondorf knelt down and covered his forehead, attempting to read Agahnim's thoughts. He was oddly silent as he stood, and used a spell to heal Agahnim's broken leg. But when Agahnim rose to his feet, Ganondorf suddenly lashed out and sent a blast of magic straight into the suits of armor lining the wall.

"Master..."

"HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN? YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE PROTECTING HER!"

Agahnim knelt and offered his sincerest apologies. "I had cast a preservation spell on her shortly after we left the castle, my lord. It was one of the strongest defensive spells I knew, that must have been why I didn't sense the creature approaching. The thing knocked me into the Shadow realm, I..."

"Enough about your failure," Ganondorf snapped. Before he realized what he was doing, he had marched off to Marin's room and found himself staring at her empty bed. He could have other children, but her? She had a unique spirit that fascinated him, and despite all the ways he wronged her, she continued to stand up to him. Her mixed Gerudo heritage was a bonus, and it made her very attractive next to the traditional Gerudo women of the Valley. Despite all the terrible things he did to her, though, he really did care about her.

Someone had to pay for this.

* * *

Agahnim remained on the floor of the throne room, taking the quiet time to rest and recharge his magic. About an hour later, he felt his Master's presence approaching and stood to greet him. "Master..."

Ganondorf strode into the hall, his face an expressionless mask yet his body radiating malicious energy. "You once told me that the Gorons defeated an ancient terror and sealed it into Death Mountain, is this correct?"

The Sheikah's eyes grew wide at the recollection. "The ancient fire demon Volvagia? You can't possibly be thinking of..."

"Is it truth or legend?" he barked, now bearing a scowl. "I can unheal your leg in an instant."

"Truth, truth!"

"Good." Ganondorf cracked his knuckles, and summoned his dark armor. "I think it's time Hyrule learned just what happens when you cross the Dark Lord Ganondorf."

* * *

I had recovered enough to lay on my side, and was watching Filimena as she wiggled and rolled on the blanket next to me. It had been three weeks since the carriage accident, and while I was still in no shape to move around, I could at least take care of my baby.

Filimena had beautiful red hair, a deeper shade than my own that was nearly ruby red in brilliance. It was a little brighter than Ganondorf's bloodfire red, fitting for a girl. She inherited his golden eyes and tan skin of course, and yet there were noticeable differences. Ganondorf had the male version of Gerudo skin, a warm bronze that took on dark greenish hues with age. Filimena had a golden copper skin tone, rosier than the regular Gerudo. Her eyes were just about the same as his, but they had a bit of a green ring around the pupil.

Just as I was laying there, Nana returned from her trip to get supplies. "Hey Nana, have you ever seen a Gerudo with green in her eyes?"

"There has never been a Gerudo like Filimena before," she said, before sitting down beside me and handing the baby a pacifier she brought from the Valley. "...I have some news."

"News?" I swaddled Filimena and gave Nana my full attention. "What's happened?"

"The High Priestess is concerned that the king may have gone off the deep end," Nana relayed. "I heard from one of the temple girls that he revived the fire dragon of Death Mountain, and that is why the skies above are always red with rage."

A fire dragon? "What happened to the Gorons who live in the mountain? Are they okay?"

She shook her head in doubt. "I can not say. But I have also heard that the ranch has been taken over, the lakefront settlement has been raided by moblins, and Castle Town has burned to the ground."

"Burned to the ground?!" My shout startled Filimena into a wail, but I managed to calm her down. "There were monsters roaming it before I left, but... burned?"

"It would seem that in the weeks since your assumed death, Ganondorf has lost all remaining compassion." Nana paused, and traced her finger along the baby's chin. "High Priestess Nabooru is loyal to him, but she is very put off by the way his wanton violence is affecting women and children. Gerudo are proud thieves, but we do not hurt the innocent."

"His divine gift must be corrupting him," I suggested, even though I had been on the receiving end of his usual temper. He didn't seem interested in ruling a wasteland when I was around him, so maybe he really was upset. Is... is all this violence really my fault?

"I know that look," Nana said, standing to fetch a changing rag for the baby. "You must put such thoughts out of your head, my child. You are absolutely correct that he has given in to his demons and let power corrupt his soul. He would have eventually crossed this line whether you were in his life or not, and you being there would have only delayed the inevitable. What horrors would Filimena been exposed to had she grown up by his side?"

...Nana is right. I would have only cursed myself and my baby had I remained in his grip. "Still, I can't believe he would do these things. What good is a kingdom gone to ruin?"

* * *

A/N: I'm trying to decide if I want to carry this story on through to the next half or not. This story is largely based on Ocarina of Time. The original story I based it on has a component that relies on A Link to the Past (I actually came up with the story before timeline theory was a thing, about 15 years ago) and would move the setting into the Dark World. I might still go that route, I just have to figure out how to get there without sounding cheesy.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: I am going to preface with this: this story is NOT over. Far from it, actually. The reason this chapter took so long in comparison to the last one is because I actually skipped over it and started writing the next part, and you will find out why when you read it. Once this chapter is finished, ideally you will have reached the halfway point. I can't promise the second half will be the same length as the first (because of the way I write) but it's probably going to be close.

The good news for everyone out there is that because I skipped around a bit, I've got two or three chapters already finished that just need proofread. I will be starting school back up at the end of August and won't be sure how much I can get done before then, but this is one of the easier stories to write for (since I've more or less had the plot down since high school) and I can usually come up with something quickly. Hopefully I won't keep you waiting.

You may also notice I put up a cover image; it is actually part of an image I drew for the story this is based on.

* * *

Things have gotten worse.

It's been almost three years since the carriage accident, and Ganondorf's rage has only increased. It started with the river, first we noticed a drop in flow and a sudden chill to the water. Then before we knew it, the whole thing just disappeared! Even Lake Hylia dried up, leaving nothing but a puddle at the very center. I had to fetch water for Filimena's baths from the faerie fountain in the forest, and there was very little to spare for crops.

The really scary thing is that Nana tells me High Priestess Nabooru hasn't been seen in the Gerudo Valley. She used to make an effort to visit everyone and keep morale high, but her absence has raised serious questions. Did Ganondorf punish her for not supporting his regime? Or was it that wicked pair of witches that he kept in his entourage? Nabooru is a beacon of hope for the Gerudo, without her he loses his own people.

It hit home when I was out in the forest gathering berries with Filimena. She was in a sling on my back, happily babbling along as I picked them and even enjoying the occasional sample. We were just on our way home, when a moblin jumped out and attacked us. I was just barely able to shield my baby as it slashed at us, earning a nasty gash on my arm. I used the meager magic I had learned to stun it, then grabbed its spear and ran it through. Taking no chances, I ran the rest of the way home.

Nana saw me running toward the cottage with a bloody dress and a wailing toddler in my arms, and dropped the laundry to come help. "Great Goddesses, what happened?!"

"We were attacked," I relayed as she took Filimena to get the pressure off my injured arm. The poor baby was scared to death, so we hurried inside to get her near her comforts. "A moblin jumped out at us. A _moblin_." My arm stung something terrible, and I was a little lightheaded from bleeding, so I quickly wrapped it and laid down. "This is too far. He knew I cared about the forest, and he would never attack it under the right state of mind."

Nana shook her head as she inspected my arm. "I told you, my dear, that man has lost his sense of morality. He is no longer the Ganondorf you knew, he is a monster who has let power corrupt his soul. I can't even call him a Gerudo anymore."

"I know, Nanny, but..." I rolled over and looked at Filimena in her bed, hugging her bear and shivering. What kind of future is she going to have with fiery skies, no water, and a forest full of moblins?

Nana must have seen me frowning, because she stopped her ministrations and put her hands on her hips. "What are you planning, Marin? Think of your daughter!"

"I _am_ thinking of her," I answered as I sat up. "Ganondorf lost his senses because no one was there to keep him pacified. Maybe that was my role, maybe it wasn't. But regardless, all this happened after I left. If I go back, there's a chance I could get him to reverse all this."

"And what about Filimena?"

"...He doesn't need to know about her," I decided, removing my necklace and placing it around Filimena's neck. "If he ever reforms enough to see the error of his ways, maybe he'll be worthy of meeting her. But until that day comes, he won't even know her name."

* * *

Castle Town was a disaster. The surrounding rampart was crumbled in some spots, completely blown away in others. There was no drawbridge anymore, admitting all kinds of hell straight into the remains of the central square. Every building had been burnt to the ground, with the strange exception of the Temple of Time. Divine intervention must have spared it, there was no other explanation.

I was horrified once I made my way past the remains of the town. The area that had once been the green castle orchard and lawn was now a blackened battlefield, without a tree in sight. Carcasses of indeterminate species were strewn about, rubble was smoldering... it was so repugnant that I collapsed and heaved along the side of the road.

The castle was still standing, though it was so foreboding it really didn't look like the same building. There was something happening in front of the entrance, a spark and flash that almost resembled a... battle? A thunderclap above startled me, so I hurried closer to investigate. I climbed atop a fallen barrier wall for a closer look, and found that it was indeed a battle between a cloaked figure and a man in black armor.

It only took me a second to identify the man in black armor as Ganondorf. He had grown his hair long, and his eyes had this sunken in look that made him even more terrifying, but there was no mistaking that proud warrior aura. The expression on his face was pure rage, and I soon discovered why when I spotted Agahnim badly wounded on the ground nearby. I was grateful the mage survived the same peril I did, but I did not know Ganondorf valued him as more than just a manservant. I felt pity for him as I watched the fight, and was glad that Ganondorf got a good hit in on the cloaked figure.

As the opponent stumbled back, their hood fell away to reveal that it was Impa in disguise. Impa suddenly used her magic to summon a dragon for aid, and as it swooped down from the sky, its talons slammed into the barrier wall and threw me into the fray. I screamed as I was thrown through the air, then when I stumbled to my feet, I was slashed at and smacked full force into the castle wall.

* * *

Ganondorf seethed with rage as Impa stood before him, reeling from his latest blow. Agahnim was his only friend in the world, and she dared to lay a hand on him... At least she was now in similar straits, and knew what it was like to feel his wrath.

The demon king raised an eyebrow as the Sheikah woman used her meager magic to summon a creature to help her. As if there was anything that could stop the man who held the Triforce of Power. Ganondorf was about to laugh at the pitiful gesture, but then the dragon creature appeared over the horizon and struck a fallen rampart, launching the debris into the air. Among that debris was an eavesdropper, one who screamed as she fell to the ground.

Ganondorf could not believe his eyes. The eavesdropper was a girl, with pale luminescent skin and long and flowing strawberry blonde hair. Only one woman fit such a description, and that was Marin, alive and in person. He watched, mortified yet frozen in place, as she fell to the ground and was slammed into the castle wall by the summoned creature.

"**_MARIN!_**"

Completely disregarding the battle at hand, Ganondorf ran to Marin and pulled her broken body into his arms. "Marin! No no no, come on, wake up!" He threw off his gauntlet and cradled her face with his bare hand, while attempting to heal the damage to her midsection. Unfortunately, all he managed to do was return her to consciousness.

Marin grimaced in pain, but fluttered her eyes open as Ganondorf continued to caress her cheek. "Ngh... Ga...non?"

"Yes, that's it, stay with me..." He turned to his right and saw Agahnim struggling to come help, and discovered that Impa had fled. "That accursed..." As Marin began haggardly coughing, he once again tried to heal her wounds to no avail.

"Ga... b-baby..."

"Shh, I'm going to get you through this, just hang on Marin!" Ganondorf's voice began to crack, and his hands began shaking as he ran out of options. His magic wasn't working, Agahnim was too injured to help, and there was no one around who could do anything. The only option left was to hold Marin close as her body failed on her.

Marin's breathing was labored, and she struggled to grab Ganondorf's hand. He took hers and laced their fingers together, and listened as she eked out what she tried to say earlier.

"Baby... F-Filo...mena..."

"Filomena?"

With a slight nod, Marin smiled and closed her eyes. Ganondorf let out an agonizing roar as her breathing stilled, and cradled her to his chest while tears came to his eyes for the first time in his life. Agahnim had managed to get to his feet, but when he saw his master grieving, he stumbled and collapsed by his side.

"Agahnim..."

"Yes, M-Master?"

Ganondorf continued staring into the distance, quite obviously a broken man. "Is the little copse of trees still standing to the rear of the castle wall?"

"I think so... Nothing outside the ramparts was touched."

"That will be perfect, then," he replied, stroking the edge of Marin's cheek.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Okay, you're going to have to suspend disbelief here for a little bit. You know how Zelda games always change the landscape between titles? Well the first part was primarily based on Ocarina of Time, while this next part takes place in the Dark World of A Link to the Past. However, I'm not going to rearrange the geography to fit OOT perfectly, and since I grew up with LTTP, I tend to default to that game when I think of Zelda. So take the Dark World map at face value, and just assume that those trees you see on the edge of the LTTP map mean that the forest is **big** and the OOT desert would be past the visible part. Or just don't worry about it. ^^;

If you remember what Venus the queen of faeries looked like, you'll have no problem imagining what The Girl looks like. Even better is if you've seen The Last Unicorn, because that is exactly the look I'm going for (with wings of course). Want to know who The Girl is? Haven't you been reading thus far? ;)

* * *

I woke with a horrible gasp, and would have screamed if my throat wasn't so dry. When I tried to move, it was like fire racing through every vessel in my body. I was stiff, and everything around me was pitch black so I couldn't see a thing. There was nothing I could do, so I closed my eyes and drifted back under.

When next I woke, there was a faint glow coming from somewhere nearby. It was enough to tell me I was laying in some kind of box, so I tried to get up. Everything still hurt, but not as badly as before, so I was able to sit up and look around. I was in some kind of cave, and there was a funny little octopus man sitting nearby.

"Oh, you're awake!" When the octopus saw me, it shimmied over, and stared straight up at my face. "You know, when I found this box, I was expecting to find some BIG treasure inside. After all, who would go to the trouble of burying such a huge box, right? Well, it's just my luck that there's nothing but a girl inside. Although, some might consider you a treasure."

I shook my head in confusion. Why would I be buried in a box? Unless... "Am... am I dead?"

"Don't look it to me," it snorted. "What's your name?"

...My name? I... Hmm. What _was_ my name?

The octopus saw me struggling in thought, and put one of its tentacles on my shoulder. "Ah, can't remember, huh? Amnesia is terrible. It's especially terrible to be stuck in _this awful place_ without your memory."

"What is this place?" I looked around, and only saw a cave. "What's so bad about a cave?"

"OH! You don't know about the Dark World, do you?" The octopus shuddered, before wiggling its tentacles. "See these things? I'm not supposed to be an octopus, dearie. You're not in Hyrule anymore, you're in the Dark World. And the Dark World is the land where the Golden Power rests."

"...I've heard of that," I interrupted. "I can't explain how, but I know the Golden Power. It's the relic the Goddesses left behind when they created the land, and can grant any wish to the first person who touches it. They also call it the Triforce."

"Bingo. Well anyway, everyone wants that power for themselves," it explained, "so we all tried to find a way here. Thing is, the Dark World used to be called the Golden Land because of the Golden Power, and was a pure place. This land is, or was, sacred. Only the truly pure hearted could keep their shape here. Everyone else becomes what their heart reflects, what they really are on the inside. That's why I've changed into an octopus instead of a Hylian."

Oh my. "Does that mean I'm pure hearted since I kept my shape? I'm still Hylian. At least I think that's what I am... I have pointed ears and fair skin, I know Hylians have those."

The octopus started laughing. "Not quite, sweetie. Go look in the reflection of that water over there."

Startled, I stood up and walked over to the puddle. When I leaned in to glance at my reflection, I almost stumbled and fell over. I looked primarily Hylian, with long pale blonde hair and bright green eyes. The big difference, however, was the set of glittering wings sticking out of my back. I had a large and small pair, though I didn't know how to use them.

"You know, you must be one incredibly sweet girl to end up with the form of a faerie," the octopus snorted. "Makes me wonder what the heck you're doing in this crapsack world."

"I, I can't remember what happened," I admitted. I looked over my body, nothing felt different apart from the wings. I was exhausted and sore, but I didn't see any open wounds. The indigo dress I wore was a little tattered in spots, suggesting a fight or scuffle. The only clue was a small Triforce on the bustline. "Maybe I was kidnapped and locked in that box?"

"It wasn't locked, just covered up with a little dirt." The octopus looked me over some more, before shrugging. "You're too old to be Princess Zelda, wrong eye color anyway. She's the only one I'd think someone would kidnap. Besides, the people searching for the Golden Power know one man's already seized it, and I don't think he has any interest in trading it for a girl. Face it, kid, you're just gonna have to remember."

Remember? How can I remember what happened when I don't even know who I am? Maybe if I found someone who recognized me in my normal shape... "How do I get home?"

"...What was that?"

"I want to go home," I repeated. "I don't know who I am, I have no idea how I got here, and from what you've said, it sounds like this is an incredibly dangerous place to be. Tell me how to get back to Hyrule."

"There is no way back to Hyrule," it growled. "Only the bearers of the Golden Power or the Seven Sages can travel between the realms. Everyone else is stuck here."

"Nonsense!" I was so angry I yanked the octopus up by its tentacles. "If travel was impossible, then how else would people from Hyrule just end up here? There must be some way to pass through the realms, and I'm going to find it so I can go home."

As I tossed the octopus back onto the ground and started to leave, I could hear it yelling a warning after me. "You go out there, and you'll be risking your life! If those thieves and monsters catch wind of you, they'll never stop chasing you until you're caught. Purity in this realm is always stamped out. You'll see!"


	13. Chapter 13

The Dark World is a rather strange place. I expected it to be gray and overcast, which the thick cloud cover and off-in-the-distance thunder bouts immediately affirmed, but the land itself wasn't overly miserable. There were plenty of trees and even grass, though the trees had trunks shaped like creatures and the grass was yellowed and dry. Odd purple bushes dotted the landscape, and instead of rocks, skulls littered the ground. A few even came alive and chased me as I passed by.

I quickly realized that the geography of this forsaken land was familiar to me. That meant I had either been here before, or the Dark World was a twisted copy of Hyrule. Choosing to believe the latter, I headed in the direction that my gut said was the forest. I can't explain why, but it called to me. Perhaps that was my homeland.

When I found the forest, I was in for a horrible shock. There were trees, but they were a sickly olive green color, muddy and decaying. The ribcages of massive, unknown creatures lined the pathways into deeper sections of the forest, and the skulls of smaller yet equally frightening monsters jutted up from the ground. Whatever comfort I found in the forest of Hyrule would not be found here.

Leaving the way I came, I decided to risk entering the little house I spotted tucked up against the side of the mountain. It was a cute house, didn't seem decayed or run down, so I thought perhaps whoever lived there might have some information. When I got closer I could see a weatherworn sign hanging above the doorway, I think it said "shop". Feeling courageous, I took a deep breath and ducked inside.

"Welcome, welcome! Eh?" The strange little shopkeeper saw me poke my head in the door, and beckoned me forward. "You... you haven't been changed!"

"Um, yes I have," I mumbled, turning just enough for him to see the wings folded along my back. "...Can you help me?"

The shopkeeper gaped in astonishment for a few moments, before rushing over to a cupboard and pulling out a long, black cloak. "No no no, you can't go walking around out there like that! Here, put this on. I can't wear it anymore, so you take it."

He handed me the cloak, which once donned was long enough to completely hide my hair and wings. The hood even fell over enough of my face that no one could tell I was a woman. "Oh my, thank you!"

"You're welcome," he replied. "Now, what is a creature like you doing in a place like this?"

"I don't know," I answered honestly. "I just woke up here. I was hoping you might have some advice, do you know of any way to get back to Hyrule?"

The shopkeeper sighed and shook his head. "Afraid not, that's why I resigned to my fate and took up business here. I wandered into this realm by accident myself, several years ago. I'm sure you've figured out by now, this is a strange place where you are changed into what you are inside. I guess I'm a whatever, since I'm a neutral kind of person. There are many people here that came from Hyrule, some good but most of them are treasure hunters and thieves. At least it's easy to tell which are the bad ones by how ugly they are."

...That speech was rather confusing. "So stay away from ugly people?"

"Good advice," he joked. "I'm guessing since you woke up here all alone, you haven't had any food? Or a rest? Plus you aren't even wearing any shoes..."

I shook my head.

"Well, I can't help with the shoes," he joked, pointing to his tiny feet, "but I can give you these." He handed me a bag full of heart berries, enough for a week's worth of rations. "You can sleep here in the shop tonight if you want, I was just about to close up."

"Oh, really? Thank you!" It was relieving, finding such kindness in this barren place. "I won't burden you past tonight, I promise."

"Think nothing of it," he smiled as he locked the door. "They say the Goddesses look favorably on kind acts in this place, so I always figured it helped my chances to be nice." He handed me a seat cushion to use as a pillow, and the cloak was long enough to serve as a blanket. In return, I helped him put his stock away and clean up shop.

When the chores were finished, I curled up in the corner and tried to get some rest. I wasn't afraid of the shopkeeper harming me, because as much of a waif as I was, he only came up to my knees and I could easily knock him silly. Instead, it was the howls and crashes coming from outside that bothered me. The perpetual thunderstorms seemed to intensify at nighttime, in turn driving whatever creatures slinked around in the darkness to their breaking points. It didn't help that the Dark World's forest was something out of a nightmare, and I started worrying that the howls were coming from whatever left those giant skulls and ribcages.

Unfortunately, I knew I couldn't stay and sleep in this store forever. In the morning I said goodbye to the nice man...thing and headed south to see what else I could find. I needed some clues to find out who I was, and the only way I was going to get those clues was to get back to Hyrule.

Interestingly enough, I came across another house. And wouldn't you know it, it just so happened to be home to a fortune teller. Luckily I had found some rupees in the grass, so I quickly made my way inside. If anyone could be of assistance in such a place, a fortune teller was surely my best bet.

"Ho ho ho, what have we here? Mystery surrounds you," the fortune teller shouted out as I entered the room. "You've come with many questions, but I'm afraid I can't answer all of them for you..."

"Can you help me out at all?"

"Come," she beckoned, "let us look into the crystal, and see what the fates have in store for you!" She waved me forward, and we both looked into the crystal ball on the table. I couldn't see anything, but the fortune teller kept nodding as though she could.

"Two men... One monstrous and vile, the other of silver and blood. Inseparable and loyal. _They_ are the keys to what you seek."

That made me shiver down to my bones. "Any idea where to find them?"

The fortune teller shook her head. "That is all I can see. Now, what have you brought me in exchange for this information? Something nice...?"

Her tone of voice became creepy, so I fished out a red rupee and placed it on the table. "Oh, yes, that's very nice. Be sure to watch yourself out there, dearie, creatures abound. Now have a nice day! He he he..."

Nodding, I made myself scarce and hurried out into the field. Not the kind of advice I was expecting, but it was a start. I wasn't looking forward to searching for these mystery men, but they were the only leads I had. If it was even reliable advice, that is, but then again something told me fortune telling was a legitimate art. Plus I swear I saw that eye emblem woven into the tablecloth somewhere before...

* * *

A/N: I described the shopkeeper as a "whatever", because I'm not sure what they're supposed to be in the game. They kind of have noses like Gonzo, and he's always called a whatever so it fits. :p


	14. Chapter 14

A/N:Personally, the events that happen between the end of this chapter and the next are the saddest in the story. But they are necessary in order to get everything into place.

* * *

As I sat on the remains of a fence thinking, I looked up and noticed a signboard in the distance. The kind of signboard that usually denotes a village... I hopped up and ran over to inspect it, and sure enough I was correct- it read 'Village of Outcasts'. A little attachment hung off by a lopsided chain, and I was just able to make out the script.

"'Persons... without rupees... are not... welcome here...?'"

Startled, I checked my surroundings. There was a long segmented structure nearby that was only as tall as I was, a large gargoyle statue in what appeared to be the center of town, and the ruins of several buildings with ghosts flying overhead. No one seemed to be around that would accost me for my nonexistent rupees, but then again I was an outcast just as much as anyone else in this forsaken realm. I pulled the hood over my head and followed the path leading into the center of town.

The village was very dilapidated, and I can't imagine many people living here. Apart from the strange structure near the entrance, only three houses stood intact. At least there was some greenery, even if a few trees were pink, so it was enough of a homey space for villagers to settle. I found a few benches near the gargoyle statue, so I sat down and started contemplating my next move.

"Oi oi oi! Who're you and what're you doing in our territory?!"

I jumped to my feet as three creatures approached me, what I assume were men of the village. They were ugly and distorted looking, with gnarled noses and nasty discolored skin. "I'm just passing through, I mean no harm." I kept my cloak pulled tight, hoping they didn't get a look at me. Who knows what they really wanted.

"This village is under the control of Blind the Thief," one of them sneered, "and the rule is 'no newcomers without tribute'. You got a tribute for our boss?"

"Yeah, persons without rupees ain't welcome here!" another yelled.

I shook my head. "I'm sorry, I don't have any rupees and I didn't know. I'll leave at once."

"Oh no you won't," the first thug barked, and moved to grab my arm. When I slapped him away, one of the others gasped.

"Hey Chugg, I think this might be a girly girl. Look at her feet."

"Yeah! Lugg's right, did you see her hand as she swatted Mugg's hand away? I think she's got some purdy nails!"

"Chugg, Lugg, grab her!"

I didn't wait for the three buffoons to grab me, instead I ducked under them and ran as fast as I could towards the south end of town. My feet hurt from running on the hard stones, but I knew it was better than the alternative of meeting this Blind the Thief.

As I approached some dilapidated houses in the corner of town, I heard them yelling not to let me escape into the trees for fear of losing me in a "haunted grove". Well, since I know trees more than anything, I took my chances and ran into the grove. I could hear the men cursing and what sounded like arguing over whether or not to follow me, but I didn't stick around to listen and instead pressed on.

After what seemed like an hour of wandering around in the thicket, I emerged in an oddly serene clearing. It was strange, there were white flowers growing in the grass among a circle of six trees, with a stump in the middle. If such a place existed in Hyrule it would be very beautiful, yet here it had the dead yellow grass and those strange creature trees as detractors. But I suppose with this world the way it was, you could still call it lovely.

With my feet blistered and sore, and out of energy from running on an empty stomach, I wandered over to a flowerbed by the corner and collapsed. I hoped that the seclusion of the grove would be enough to protect me from predators, because I was in no shape to fight any more off. Within minutes I had fallen fast asleep.

* * *

Stretching a week's worth of hearts into three had left me worn thin, and my search of the foliage for edible plants had turned up empty handed. I needed to eat, so I decided I had to chance leaving the protection of the grove. Since I entered from the north, I figured the south was the best bet for avoiding those creeps.

Since I still hadn't figured out how to fly, only that the wings stretched when I yawned, I had to climb over a clump of purple bushes blocking the exit to the grove. My feet were all cut up and sore by the time I made it out, and one foot was in such bad shape that I had to limp. If only I could make it home...

"There she is!"

Oh no. I only had to glance over my shoulder to see it was one of the brutes from the village, so I tried to run away as fast as I could. My injured foot burned with every step, but I couldn't stop. I couldn't let them catch me.

I ran as far as I could go until I came to a fork in the path, and was forced to take the left route back up toward this sinister looking pyramid. The right path was blocked by a boulder, and no way was I able to climb in my condition. I could hear them shouting behind me as I ran through the trees, and thought I might be able to lose them as I saw the drop off to a river up ahead. If only I could reach it...

A sudden burst of fire erupted in my back and shoulder area, and I screamed in agonizing pain as I collapsed to the ground. Dazed and lightheaded from what had happened, I tried to stand up when one of the men came up behind me and stomped down on my leg, snapping it like a toothpick.

"Let's see you run away now, fillie."

The shriek that poured out of me was so intense, it could have stunned the wildlife. One of them yanked off my cloak and ripped an arrow out of my back, and just out of the corner of my eye, I could see that it had torn a hole in one of the wings. Is that why it hurt so much? My consciousness leaving me, I tried to think happy thoughts so that my mind wouldn't wander to what horrible things might be awaiting me...


End file.
